Beauty, Mercy, Justice

Conservatives & Greens

Those who are interested in the possibility of an alliance between Greens and tradition-minded conservatives may find this interesting: Caleb Stegall’s review of Deep Economy, a new book by Bill McKibben, in The American Conservative. McKibben is the Green, in case you don’t recognize his name. I’m pretty sure I reviewed his The Age of Missing Information in Caelum et Terra once upon a time–fairly favorably, if memory serves.

—Maclin Horton

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4 Responses

Perhaps you recall that Bill McKibben is also the author of _Maybe One_(ie maybe one child per couple), a treatise promoting zero/negative population growth? This doesn’t necessarily negate the possibility of Conservative/Green collaboration, but IMO signals the need for informed caution.

Personally I don’t really see it happening. I’m just throwing it out there as an item of interest. I can imagine alliances on specific issues but I think it’s pretty unlikely that there would be anything permanent or deep.

I am neither Green (as in a member of a party) nor conservative, but if there is going to be any sort of effective social movement that pursues a just social order we who embrace the Catholic ethos regarding population questions will have to make common ground with a pretty broad swathe of folks.
If we limit ourselves to those who share our views on contraception, with other natalists, we will have few allies, even among Catholics.
The times call for the coming together of a diverse movement, from right and left and green and beyond, united by the fact that our country is in crisis, facing unparalleled hostility from former allies, brought about by our own policies.
If we can’t get Wendell Berry to run, I’d settle for Ron Paul, if he has the sense to choose someone from the populist left as a running mate…

Daniel, I agree with your 1st paragraph. In your 2nd paragraph, you’ve given me food for thought.
By the way, I was a subscriber to Caelum et Terra, and was so grateful to discover it lives on. your work is needed and appreciated!